'The Voice': Christina Grimmie wants a fair fight

"The Voice" coaches Blake Shelton,
Usher and Shakira have a big problem on their hands.

When coach Adam Levine selected
Christina Grimmie as one of his three "Team Adam" finalists, he made it very
difficult for the other three teams to win this season. Christina is not only
talented - all four coaches have called her a fiery vocal dynamo - but she has
YouTube fans, too.

Some 2.6 million of them.

Christina is a serious contender -
and that makes her a serious threat to the other coaches.

But that's not how she sees it.

Yes, she came into this competition with a large fanbase, which is something most singers don't have when auditioning. But Christina doesn't want to win based on past performances. She wants to be judged - and garner votes - based on her work on "The Voice."

Christina credits Adam with this forward-thinking approach.

"You know what, he didn't really
touch on any of that (past success). And I actually respect him a lot for not even bringing
the previous success into the picture," Christina said after her first "Battle
Round" victory. "I'm very big on fair game. I think, I mean, me coming into
this with, you know, fans already and stuff like that, I feel like it was just
a little unfair for everyone else. And people may be looking at me ... a little
bit differently. And I just really appreciate that Adam didn't even really, you
know, bring that up."

Though Christina has had success
online - and in the real world, too, gigging with Selena Gomez and Disney - she
was just "one of the guys," so to speak, on "Team Adam."

"He was just kind of looking at me
like - like he looked at everyone else. And I really appreciate that," Christina
said. "And what he really did was just help me with what I already had. You
know ... I'm known as the pop singer on the show - the pop R&B singer. And
you know he just - I feel like he knows how I sing and how I want to sing. And
he very much just wants to help build that. And I really respect the guy for
it."

For Christina, "The Voice"
represents an opportunity to build on the past, but not live in it, as she
continues her career in music.

"I mean, I don't think I wanted to
start fresh, per say. I - I feel like I'm on a whole new level now that I'm
singing with so many amazing singers," she said. "You know, it just used to be ...
me singing, you know, in my room, and putting up videos. And people were
looking up to me. Now it's just kind of like I'm surrounded by all these amazing
singers. And I really have to step up my game.

"So, in that sense, I guess I'm
starting new and fresh as a performer. But I - I've always stuck to who I am.
And I've always been a performer at heart. And I just want to build upon the
artist that I've always been. And I think the key is just growing in what
you've always been. I don't see a sense in changing my performance style
unless, of course, Adam, you know, has a real note about it. But so far, so
good."